Burning Paper Lanterns
by Gentle Catastrophe
Summary: It's been hundreds of years since Avatar Aang's era, and now it is the time for an Avatar of the Earth Nation to do his part. However, many years in what would be Aang's future, the current Avatar has once again disappeared. OC x OC
1. Halcyon Days

Many years ago, Avatar Aang disappeared shortly after the starting of a war. No one could locate the hero, and because of his absence the Air Nation diminished to nothing. The Fire Nation destroyed his home in hopes of finding him. When he reappeared hundreds of years later, he was found frozen in an iceberg within the Southern Water tribe. Now, many years in what would be his future, the Avatar has once again disappeared.

Twenty-two years ago was when the Avatar of the Southern Water tribe died, and the same twenty-two years ago that the Avatar of the Earth nation was born. However, there was a problem. No one shown any signs of being the Avatar, and whoever's family the Avatar was born into had chose to keep quiet. Hints of who might be the Avatar and many test had failed. The Avatar was gone, and that caused crime rates to go up within not only the Earth Nation, but the other nations, too. This Avatar had vanished, just like Aang.

He never really liked traveling to the Lower Ring. There were always beggars and pleaders who he couldn't help. He couldn't throw them the money they wanted and suddenly bring them out of poverty-that wasn't how society worked. Still, he wanted to help them. Of course he wanted to help his people. But he couldn't help everyone. He couldn't even find the Avatar if he was still in the Earth Nation. But even then, when he saw the eyes of a child staring up at in, in admiration and fear and jealousy all at once, who was he not to stop and offer something?

A small sigh escaped from the prince's lips, and he slipped into a small tea shop with his guards.

All eyes were immediately trying their best not to stare as he seated himself. Two of his guards stood behind him, while two more stood on duty outside. The tea house he had stepped into was called Paper Lanterns, and he had walked into it for a specific reason. The rumor was that the family who managed the shop had a daughter of exactly twenty-two years of age. Supposedly, she was born on the same day the Avatar was suppose to be born, but she had never taken the test of identification of the current Avatar. He hadn't heard anything else about her, no signs of being capable of bend any of the elements what-so-ever, but he needed to see for himself.

He needed verification.

It was easy to spot her for the simple fact she came over with a tray in a hand and placed in front of him a small steaming cup of tea. The whole time, she kept her eyes down, averted from his as he watched her closely. Her hair was long, untied, a black sheet that went down to her a bit past her shoulders. Bangs were swept to one side of her head, covering half her face from him, but he saw how tense her features around him. Her skin was a healthy shade of brown, well taken care of, no noticeable blemishes until he saw the palms of her hands: they were burnt. The prince made note of it in his head, and waited till she left without a word, to sip his tea quietly.

Time past slowly, afterward. Not many people came to the Paper Lanterns, and not many people left. His gray eyes watched the young woman serve those who came, and noticed not once had she spoken or made direct eye contact. The atmosphere was tense, and probably unusual for the place. That could have been thanks to his presence, or that fact that something strange was possible. It was something else he made note of while he sat at the small table.

Overall, he was disappointed. The girl hadn't shown any signs of being a capable bender. The tea house seemed as normal as normal could get with a prince sitting inside of it. The rumors of the shop were most likely true, but he didn't find it satisfying enough. If she wasn't the Avatar, who was? Why were they hiding? Why were they refusing to reveal themselves, and do good for those who needed them? It was frustrating! And he found himself becoming angry, angry enough to watch her even more carefully for some sort of sign, hint, that she might be the Avatar.

The only time she returned was to grab his cup and leave, but he grabbed her wrist, and flipped over her hand. The already silent tea house grew even more silent. Her eyes, a sort of muddy green, catiouslessly, yet calmly, locked with his silver orbs.

"Prince Jin," she spoke silently, his name soft on her lips.

Immediately, he felt wrong for his accusation. The missing Avatar was getting to his head, and desperation was holding his hand. "What happened to your hands?" he asked, still holding on to her wrist. She stared at him silently, and he loosened his hold. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "I just wanted to know."

"I played with fire," the unnamed woman answered, pulling her wrist from his hold. The prince's eyes locked on her even more. "I had a friend who was being bullied for her hair being cut like a boy's. I pushed the person who was bullying her, and it happened to be a fire bender visiting the Earth Nation. For it, my hands were burned badly by him. That is what happened."

A likely story, and most likely true. Her body nor voice had given signs of a lie. No falter, no twitching, no shaking, no sweating. Unlike everyone else within the Paper Lanterns, she was perfectly calm. Was that a reason to be suspicious? Could he really hold that to her? She stood tall, then turned her back to him.

"What about your name?" Prince Jin asked, blinking those gray orbs.

She hesitated on stopping to turn around for a second, but decided to keep walking. "Halcyon," she answered, and kept moving to the back of the tea house.

Halcyon.

Hhn, interesting name.


	2. Search Elsewhere

Paper Lanterns was full when Prince Jin visited the next day. Even then, people inhabiting the Lower Ring moved aside to spare a table for him and his guards. It felt… a little strange, but he could adjust to it within a few more visits. Besides, what he really wanted to do was concentrate on Halcyon. He had discovered a bit more information on her, personal information, granted, but information he found important nonetheless. The only problem occurring to him today was when she was going to be alone, or how he was going to get her by herself. He didn't want to throw everyone out of the tea house, but he didn't want to take forever to state what was probably the obvious reason why he was here.

Prince Jin glanced over at a few girls gathered around a different table. They were sneaking glances at him, and whispering as quietly as possible while trying hard not to attract his attention.

Well, he thought the reason he was here should have been obvious. Not everyone else had the same thoughts in mind.

Halcyon appeared to be the only busgirl within the tea house. Her parents worked in the back, handling the process of tea-making. Prince Jin wasn't sure how many people came into Paper Lanterns at an average, but if they got a large amount of people such as this every day, why have only one woman serving the customers? There had to be something going on, unless this wasn't the amount of people they got on average.

He was trying very hard to verify his suspicions before jumping over the line.

It took her a while, but Halcyon finally arrived to his table. She did not bow like others would, nor did she make direct eye contact with him. Instead, she glanced down at the table, and her expression remained stony. "Good evening," she greeted. "What kind of tea would you like today?"

Her voice didn't match her expression. An emotionless face with a voice as soft as clouds… Though she didn't really show it, he could still hear the respect for higher authority in her voice. He didn't take offense. "Green," he answered.

"Your guards?" she asked.

Prince Jin glanced at either, and they bother shrugged lightly. "Same," he answered. Halcyon nodded, and immediately went over to another un-served table.

By the time the night grew close, strangers had come and gone. Most people had evacuated Paper Lanterns, and now remained a few stragglers. Prince Jin glanced around. Only three seated at the bar, sipping their tea and speaking to Halcyon's parents who had come from out of the back of the tea house. He looked for Halcyon. When he spotted her, he found her minding her own business and drinking tea in a corner by herself. Her hair was pulled back into a coiled ponytail, with two loose strands at her temples that made her appear like a tired out woman.

He spied the perfect opportunity.

Prince Jin rose, and silently moved over to the table where she sat. With a hand, he motioned for his guards to stay where they were, that this was a situation he could handle. He could feel the eyes of Halcyon's parents and their last customers staring straight at him. Halcyon placed her cup on the small table, and finally gave him her direct attention. This time, her expression looked amused. He felt caught off-guard.

"Rumors fly fast, don't they?" Halcyon spoke through the silence first. She directed her eyes into her tea cup. "It was only a matter of time before you showed up-before someone showed up."

"I-" Jin started.

"Wanted to know if I wanted to be your potential wife, or if I'm the Avatar, right?" Halcyon's amused expression immediately fell. Her full lips were sealed tightly together, and her eyes had taken on a cold turn. The muscles in her face all tensed, hardening her expression. Prince Jin knew right away that she wasn't one for playing games. It was best to approach the topic straightforward.

"Wife?" he asked, letting that thought float in his brain. Of course, one of the customers had probably proposed that suggestion to her. "Of course not… I came back because I found information on you. You haven't taken the test to be verified as the Avatar. As you should know, the Avatar has been missing for twenty-two years, nearly twenty-three now, and we need him." Prince Jin gained back his confidence, and found himself able to speak with her in a serious way. He evened his expression with hers, making sure to show no faults. He wouldn't let her get to him.

"If you believe the Avatar is male, then you shouldn't be speaking to me." Halcyon's hands wrapped around her cup, and from the corners of his eyes he could see the royal guards position themselves to come to his defense. "Besides, what's the point in making someone who can't bend try to take a test to see if they're the Avatar?" Halcyon sipped her tea.

Prince Jin couldn't resist the frown. She had a point. There was no point in making her take a test if she wasn't a bender. But still… there was something about her… "Tell me again how you burnt your hands," he spoke suddenly. "I want to hear the story again."

"By defending a friend who was made fun of," Halcyon answered. "I pushed a fire bender, and he burnt my hands for it. If I could bend at all, I would have made a wall of the earth to defend myself and prevent any burns. You can try as hard as you please to convince yourself that I'm the Avatar. I understand everyone's getting desperate to find their symbol of heroism, but I'm not your Avatar. I'm a simple busgirl assisting her family in the Lower Ring. Go elsewhere, Prince Jin. Your Avatar isn't here."

Prince Jin stared at Halcyon silently. Had he just been kicked out of a tea house _politely_? He watched as the woman rose to her feet from the table, and wander past the bar. She paused, and exchanged a glance and nod of her head with her parents, then continued to the back. Prince Jin could feel the chagrin, the reddening of his cheeks, the anger that was building up. Now something about this picture just wasn't right, and he really didn't appreciate the fact that she had just told him to search somewhere else. He had searched everywhere possible, and even the other nations had done their own test to see if the Avatar had fled to a different nation. The cycle had not been broken, everyone was sure of that. Someone had to be the current Avatar and he was betting everything that it was her.

But there was no evidence, and she couldn't bend.

Or, at least, that's what she claimed.

Prince Jin inhaled, and rose from his spot. He was going to see if that was still true. Not all people learned how to bend so early. Sometimes, that ability was a late gift.


	3. One Last Cup of Tea

The way to identify the Avatar was generally to give them toys at birth and watch which one they chose. Then, at age sixteen, they would receive an announcement voicing them as the Avatar. Because the Avatar of the current generation had gone missing, many of those born within the very year were tested another time. At least, those who were benders had been tested. Prince Jin had every intention of testing Halcyon with these toys despite her age. His suspicions of her were strong, and he was going to make sure one way or another they were true.

Paper Lanterns was eerily empty in the early mornings. Halcyon's father was wiping down the bar, her mother was bustling about in the back, and Halcyon was taking care of the tables. Upon seeing Prince Jin's arrival, a small frown danced at the corners of her lips. She did not seem pleased. With a wave of his hands, his usual two guards stood by his side, and four stood outside to block the entrance. During the test, no one would be allowed to enter or leave.

"Prince Jin," Halcyon spoke calmly. It seemed to be her only way of greeting him. "Now, to block the tea house from customers is completely unnecessary."

Prince Jin waved a hand to silence her. "In this case, it is quite necessary." He narrowed his eyes on her, studying her still form dressed in a dingy brown dress with an apron around it. Her hair was bedridden, pulled back into a ponytail with disarrayed bangs. It was apparent to him that she had only awoken minutes ago. "Stand here, in front of this table. You're going to take the test for the Avatar."

"This is ridic-"

"Stand. _Here._"

It was not a polite request, it was a command. She wasn't going to wiggle her way out of taking the test. Halcyon's eyes narrowed on him sharply, and he did the same with his. She stood where she was, reluctant to move, but it was when she adverted her gaze from him did he know he won. She couldn't resist higher authority. She had to listen and do what she was told, and she knew that. Halcyon kept her eyes down as she moved forward.

Prince Jin stepped to the side, and one of his guards sat a knapsack on the table. When he unfolded it, it revealed a fair number of small toys. Within them were the relics of past Avatars. He was hoping that she'd at least choose one. "Pick any of the four that appeal to you the most. And yes, I'm being completely serious."

Halcyon didn't make an attempt to argue. Her eyes wandered carefully through the toys. Prince Jin watched her, studied her, wished that she would hurry. Wished that she would choose wisely the clay turtle, or fan, or wooden monkey, or even the wooden hand drum. She extended a hand, her fingers curled slightly, and as he watched her hand moved he felt his stomach flipped. What if he had just found the Avatar? Everyone would be so excited, so relieved, so proud. Crime rates would go down, an era of peace would pick back up, and no nation would feel the need to be watchful of the others. Things would be safe, and okay.

And then his heart dropped, along with it, his hopes failed. Halcyon had chose four toys not even close to what the Avatar would pick. She chose a rag doll, a small rocking horse, a spin top, and lastly a yoyo. When she glanced up at him, a small smile pulled at the corners of her lips, replacing the frown she had once been wearing. He suppose a mask of disappointment had taken over his features.

"I told you," she spoke softly, her voice a mother's whisper speaking to a letdown child. "I'm not the Avatar. Search elsewhere. You're wasting your time with me." Halcyon put the toys down, and returned to her duty of cleaning the small tables.

Prince Jin stalked off to a corner, and stayed just for one last cup of tea.

* * *

**A / N ;;** I am extremely sorry for the shortness of this chapter. I'm hoping Chapter 4 will come out to be much longer.


	4. Indeed The Avatar

**A / N ;; **I hate this chapter. Only for the simple fact that I developed writer's block trying to make it. ;A;

In all other words, please enjoy it more than I did.

Chapter 5 should appear later on tonight. _Should._ Keyword.

* * *

As a prince, it was not his job to harass, but instead bring peace. He had to leave Halcyon alone. She had taken the test with his verification, and had proved not to be the Avatar. Though, the smile on her lips when she saw his disappointment lingered hauntingly within his mind. The pull of her lips had been mocking, knowing, easily enjoying what she knew would already happen. She had told him she wasn't the Avatar, and she had told the truth.

The next few days in the Earth nation were silent. No word of the Avatar seeped from other nations. Chances of finding the Avatar were extremely unlikely. Prince Jin, with all reluctance, admitted this as he sat within his bedroom.

Outside of his room, within the ballroom, his father was having a noble gathering that he wasn't in the mood to attend. Constantly he was still bothered by the fact that something about Halcyon-Avatar or not-was wrong. If she wasn't the Avatar, she was definitely something different. Just the image of her smile when she saw his sheer disappointment was enough evidence for him to believe that she knew something he didn't. The pull of her lips had mocked him, her words somehow politely insulting. And the tone of voice she had taken on when she spoke, a simple comforting whisper…

Prince Jin sighed. There was no use trying to break everything down. He was over-thinking. It was as simple as that. She had taken the test in front of him, and had told him before she was not the Avatar. But maybe… that smile… Maybe she knew who the Avatar was? Prince Jin shook his head and took a deep breath. It was time for him to move on and find someone else who came close to the description of the Avatar.

Silently, he rose from a chair at his desk and walked over to one of his large windows. He had two choices right now, and those were to either go to the ballroom and mingle, or stay within his room and not have to face the questions he would get asked. The latter sounded best to him, but if he didn't go his father would lecture him about various things: the Avatar, who was next on the list, things he should be doing like finding a wife among the nobles. With a small frown pulling at his lips, Prince Jin made his decision; he was going to go mingle.

* * *

Prince Jin had pleased his father by showing up at the gathering. However, it didn't appear to be enough to keep him happy the whole time. Prince Jin discovered this the next day. He walked with his father in one of the castle halls, trying his best to ignore the suggestions his father was making about the women he found most suitable for him.

"She's a glutton, father. That one flirts with everyone. I'm not her type, and she doesn't appear to be mine. She talks too much, and she talks too little. She-" Prince Jin gave a small shiver. "-she would destroy me. No doubt about her…" His gray eyes glanced over to his father whom was staring at him with a look of sheer disbelieve-amused, yes-but disbelieve, nonetheless. Prince Jin couldn't help but smile, and slowly glanced back in front of him with his hands joining behind his back.

"I'm getting old," spoke the Earth King. "You're turning twenty-five soon. It's about time you stop searching for the Avatar, and find someone to settle down with. The Avatar will reveal himself when he's ready. Give him time, stop hunting him. It'll only make him want to hide longer."

Silence settled between them. Prince Jin overturned his father's words inside his head. The Earth King was right, he guessed. But the sooner the Avatar was found, the better things would get. Where was everyone's hero? Prince Jin closed his eyes for a moment, and slowed his pace a step or two. He had already thought about the Avatar a good share of his life. Maybe now it was time he thought about his own personal future. He had to take time out for himself eventually.

"Have you found any woman you're interested in?" the Earth King asked to break the silence, and most likely to be just a little nosy about his son's love-life.

Prince Jin opened his eyes with a smirk. "Of course not," he answered. "May I remind you what my mind has been focused on for a fair number of years that you supported?" he asked.

His father chuckled. "You know, rumors fly fast, and I've heard you've been visiting some girl in the Lower Ring. Jin, why the Lower Ring? Most who come from there-"

Prince Jin lost his smirk, it was replaced by a frown. "Rumors are rumors, father. Yes, I have been visiting a girl, but that's because I heard rumors about _her_, and they made me think that for a moment she was the Avatar. I observed her, then I tested her, and it appears that she isn't. Besides, to have her as a wife would drive me crazy. Something about her is… odd." The image of Halcyon's smile reappeared in his head, and that caused his frown to become deeper. His father stared at him steadily, even gaining a frown for himself. Though, what was going through his head, Prince Jin wasn't sure he wanted to know. "I'm suspicious of her," Prince Jin spoke after a moment. "When I say something about her seems odd, I mean it. She's unusual, and I feel like she should be kept an eye on."

The King snorted then. "Most people in the Lower Ring deserved to be keep an eye on."

Prince Jin shook his head. "No, I mean something about her… She's unnatural. That or she knows something I don't. It drives me crazy to think about it, but I think I've terrorized her enough. I've finished my business with her, and I don't exactly want to cross her path again."

"Good," his father came on sternly. "If I hear that you've been courting a woman from the Lower Ring, I swear to you-"

Prince Jin sighed. "No dating women from the Lower Ring. _Ever._ I know."

His father eyed him suspiciously, but when he opened his mouth, a guard of the castle came walking by. He looked alert, slightly disturbed, and bowed to the King before directing his attention to Prince Jin.

"We have discovered important information on the Paper Lanterns. Would you like to hear it, or should we let it go?" the guard asked.

Prince Jin looked over to his father to see that the older man did not look pleased. But he gave a wave of his hand, and kept walking. Prince Jin decided to take that as a sign that he could do as he wanted.

"Tell me," he said with a small motion of his head.

"Maybe a half-hour ago, some type of fight broke out at the Paper Lanterns. The fight led to a fire…" Prince Jin stood un-phased. "The fight was caused because the woman you suspected there was indeed the Avatar. The people who started the fire discovered this, and thought that by burning her home they could get her to admit she had lied. The fire is currently being-"

"Is she alive?" Prince Jin interrupted, feeling every muscle in his body tense. _The woman you inspected was indeed the Avatar._ No wonder she had been smiling. She had lied to him! He had stood in the presences of the Avatar, had even _sensed_ it, and he let her get away! He had the right to be angry! The Avatar had slipped through his grasp, but why? The guard was slow to answer. Prince Jin repeated the question. "Is. She. Alive?"

"We don't know…" the guard whispered. "The fire was being put out when I left. She could have escaped with her family. If not, she could have let herself burn."

"I'm not sure which one is worse," Prince Jin mumbled, tightening his hands. "Mount the Ostrich Horses. We need to find out if she's still there. If not, we'll have to search all through the Earth nation for her. Tell my father of the discovery. I have to make sure the other nations are alerted. Understood?"

The Prince and guard exchanged glances, firm and serious, and turned their own way.


	5. Hide Forever

**A / N ;;** So, the only reason I really posted this was so you guys knew I didn't die... And it is about time I updated at least SOMETHING. This was the closest chapter I had finished. I apologize about the shortness, but I forgot what I originally wanted to do with it (that's why you shouldn't procrastinate, kids). It has not been proof read yet, so I apologize for errors.

* * *

About time he had arrived at Paper Lanterns, the fire started within it had been put out. Hundreds of people had gathered around, all searching and waiting for the three people they knew who lived there to come out. Prince Jin left his ostrich horse behind the crowd, and pushed his way through with guards behind him. There were already guards watching over the tea house, keeping the crowd back and waiting on him, while others were already in the tea house searching for the owners and their daughter. Prince Jin made it to the front of the crowd as soon as one of the many guards came out.

Prince Jin stared.

The guard shook his head. "The Avatar isn't there. Her parents are, but she's gone."

"Well then, I'm going to speak with her parents. They have to know where she went, don't they?" Prince Jin asked. The guard didn't answer, and instead glanced at the crowd of people that was slowly beginning to diminish. Prince Jin shoved past him, and went into the flame-destroyed Paper Lanterns. Both parents were standing where the bar would be. The husband was holding his wife soberly, whom seemed to be crying no tears. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she held a soaked handkerchief in one hand. The both of them looked miserable, and regretful.

"She's not here," the husband spoke. "She left, and she's not coming back."

"Where did she go?" Prince Jin asked, letting no hint of sympathy for the two leak through. He didn't have time to show them his pity. He had to find the Avatar.

"We have no idea. She hid us within the ground, and then vanished. We can't tell you where she is because we really don't know. Even then, we still wouldn't tell you if we did."

"And not telling the truth resulted in your tea house being burned!" Prince Jin spat at the two, causing them to flinch. He could feel the anger returning, all the frustration he had felt before. Years of frustration, searching, failure, being so close to finishing his search for the Avatar, and now to discover he had lost it! What were the chances of finding Halcyon after this? Everyone needed her! "And you've even lost your daughter and have no idea when, and if she'll ever return home to the both of you! You've kept her a secret all these years! And now look at where it's gotten you! Why would you keep her a secret?" Prince Jin found himself yelling, releasing his anger on the elder couple. The both of them reminded him of Halcyon, how she never looked up when she came over to him. Her eyes would always glance down, much like theirs. But eventually, she would look up.

Her mother did so. "We gave our daughter the chance to see if she wanted to be the Avatar. She would not be claimed, and give up a life she could possibly want for another. And she chose not to let herself be anyone's Avatar."

"It's a selfish choice!"

"You've been hunting her for twenty-three years now. Isn't it pretty selfish not to wait until she's ready to become your Avatar?" the woman spoke. Prince Jin silenced himself, remembering what his father had told him earlier. "It is because of this kind of violence that she had chosen not to become your Avatar. She won't be anyone's hero. Halcyon is no one's Avatar." The woman glanced back down, and became silent.

Prince Jin tightened his fist. So Halcyon had apparently made twenty-three during the past few days. Twenty-three years and the hunt was finally coming to a climax. This might have been his last chance to find her, whether she wanted to be found or not. He had to convince her to be everyone's Avatar. The world needed her. What couldn't she understand about that? Why play a game of cat and mouse? She might not like being hunted, but it was all he could do. Prince Jin turned, and walked out of the couple's burnt tea house.

"We leave Ba Sing Se now. Who knows how far she has managed to get by now. We must find her today. Understood?"

* * *

The Earth nation's forces were searching everywhere. As far as Prince Jin was concerned, the Avatar _was_ going to be found. Where was she possibly going to go now that just about everyone knew who she was? Rumors traveled quickly, and if anyone had left Ba Sing Se, people had to know by now that the Avatar of the current generation had been born. The cycle hadn't broken, it hadn't skipped, it was just fine. The only problem now was that once again, the Avatar had gone missing for a third time.

Prince Jin settled his gaze up to the sky as the night approached. By this time of day, the searching seemed to be fairly useless. There were still many caves to search, mountains to wander, and deserts to run through. And if Halcyon had even managed to make it through all of that in a day's trip, then she could be on the next boat to a different nation. If he tried to think of all the possibilities, it was more like that Halcyon was somewhere in a cave.

Prince Jin frowned. "I hope you've at least said goodbye to your parents, Halcyon." A sigh followed afterwards. "You're probably going to hide for a very long time… Men! We'll settle down tonight. Tomorrow we're going to search caves."

So much for finding the Avatar today.


	6. Three Years

Days drifted by and became weeks. Those weeks crept by as months. Those months tortured him by becoming years. Time lashed by cruelly, never hinting to the whereabouts of the Avatar. The King of the Earth Nation had forced him to move on, to turn his attention to something else-a to-be-wife. A loving fiancée who would keep the Avatar off his mind until signs of her reappeared. A high ranking lady who would entrance him, give him something to fix his Avatar fixation on. And it worked, for a while.

But overall, he hated her.

Gevira was an elegant looking woman. Her skin had the perfect tan, and was very healthy and soft. Her hair was dark brown, much like her wide eyes. She was tall, slender, and she took great care of herself. She always felt the need to remind people that she came from one of the greater upper class families, and that being the daughter of that family is what got her engaged to the prince of the Earth Nation. She was a bragger, and she had a comment about nearly everything. Granted, she knew how to behave if she had too, but the way she worked people was like watching the biggest conman out there. She had qualities to her that Prince Jin couldn't tolerate, so switching his attention back to hunting down the Avatar should have been predictable.

Gevira slinked herself over his chair within the compounds of his room, her arms wrapping themselves around his neck. He really wished she would leave him alone just for a moment. Two years with her, and one would think he'd have learned to tolerate her.

"She's twenty-six now?" Gevira asked, looking down at a book Jin was writing in. "Three years of being discovered, and no one can find her. What do you think she's done with herself?" Gevira asked, blinking her large brown eyes.

Jin really didn't want to answer that question, and if he did he wished he had a sort of smart aleck reply, but he didn't. "Keeping her life as the Avatar a secret. Maybe she's even scarred her flesh to an unrecognizable state so no one could find her. We won't know unless someone can get a hint on Halcyon's current trail."

Gevira's head tilted to the side. "What if she's not mobile?" she suggested.

Prince Jin arched a brow. "What do you mean?" he asked. In order not to be found, especially with all the pictures of her on walls and buildings in every nation, she'd have to keep moving to keep herself hidden, right?

"What if she did something like Aang?" Gevira explained, going into more details. "What if she's encased herself in something? A block of ice underwater? A tree? A cave? No one would ever think to look in any of those places."

Prince Jin held back a snort, rolling his eyes a little at the idea. "I'm doubting she could have done any of those. The waters have already been checked, no signs of a trapped Avatar. And how could she possibly become one with a tree? That idea itself is ridiculous. All caves have also been checked in the passing years. We've come to the conclusion that she's simply missing."

"Or dead. Have you considered that option?" Gevira asked, her voice almost forewarning.

Prince Jin glanced down at the book he had been writing in. Dead? No, he had never considered that. And it could be the reason why no one had found her. Halcyon had run off, possibly with nothing to protect her from thieves, or wild animals, or knowledge of things to not eat in the wild. She could have fallen sick, and died in a completely random place no one would ever look in. Or, if worst came to worse, suicide. But she wouldn't go as far as to do that, would she? She wasn't that crazy, or determined… Was she?

"I don't think she is dead," Jin murmured, writing that there was a possibly she could be anyway. He didn't want to believe it, but that didn't mean it wasn't true. One could never be too sure.

"Well, what do you plan on doing once you find her?" Gevira asked. "What if she plans on running again? She's probably not going to come back willingly. She's probably not going to learn and do her job willingly. She'll be as wild as everyone in the Lower Ring. Why couldn't we have an Avatar born in the Upper Ring? To one of the families here, or maybe even within the Royals?"

Jin side glanced, feeling something inside of him swell up at Gevira's words.

"She'll probably be extremely savage once we find her. Barbaric even. There'll be no way to tame her. Then she definitely won't be _our_ Avatar."

"You make her sound as if she's an animal," Jin spat out, his voice low. "She may be the Avatar, but she was never anyone's Avatar. She was not owned. And she never wanted to be forced to be the Avatar like we originally planned. She wanted the option to live like a regular person. Maybe if we would have given her the choice she would have been more willing to actually take up her role as the Avatar. But we hunted her down like an animal, we made her run, and that was our mistake. She is not savage, or barbaric like you imagine those in the Lower Ring to be. Do not downgrade her like she is worth nothing. Because when it all matters, her life is worth more than most of the people you know."

Gevira became silent, still leaning over his chair. Had his words sounded as harsh as he wanted them to? Did she understand the meaning of them? She didn't have nerve to disrespect the Avatar when she, herself, was so lowly to the ground, no matter how high of a family she was born to. Jin wouldn't allow for her to make Halcyon sound so low, because she wasn't…

"Halcyon…" Gevira dare whispered, her voice sending shivers down Jin's back. "I would have liked to meet her. Sometimes, you almost seem as if you're in love with her."

"Infatuation is different from love," Jin quickly said in defense.

Geveria snorted. "I've known it for a while, Jin. Just admit it, it's alright. You loved her. You still do."

"I've been hunting her down for years-"

"Like an animal," Gevira giggled.

Jin shot up from his chair and pushed it from between them. Anger masked itself on his face while his eyes glared at the woman before him. He couldn't hurt her, he never would, but he could kick her out his room. He could make her understand that if he asked for it, their engagement could be called off. And that knowledge flashed on her face before she threw her glance at the floor.

"I'm sorry," Gevira murmured. "Halcyon is not an animal. It was out of place for me to even say such a thing. I hope you can forgive me."

"Now excuse yourself," Jin told her.

Gevira gave a single nod. "I'll take my leave now."


	7. Dreams Are Important

Dreams.

He never really had many. Any he did have were normal, and for the most part, he never remembered them. They were unimportant. But this one was out of the normal for him. Jin had awoken with a start, sweating, breathing hard, feeling angered and terrified all at once. And the strange thing was, he still couldn't remember it. The symptoms of a nighterror, and it seemed oddly important. He couldn't fall back asleep after, feeling as if he were suppose to be doing something other than laying in his bed.

Throughout the day, the more Jin thought about it, the less concerned he became with it. If he didn't remember it, it obviously wasn't important enough to him. He sat on his high chair, next to his father's throne of whom he spoke with about it. His father agreed. Dreams were only the brain being active at night, taking a person into a whole new altered perception of things, or giving small reminders of events to come, or rethinking events that had already happened. And as interesting as a conversation as it had proved to be, it still didn't knock off the feeling of importance the dream held to him.

Jin had still be thinking about it when a solider walked up to him and his father, bowing in respect. Jin snapped from his thoughts immediately, frowning just a little. Usually when a solider came up to him and his father these days, well… A solider never really _did_ come up to either of them. Jin's eyebrows met in curiosity, and he let his father do the speaking.

"Yes?" his father asked.

"Your Highness," the solider spoke, joining both hands together. "Before I state the reason why I am here, I should say there is a chance this news could be inaccurate, but Generals all believe the location of the Avatar has been discovered after these three years."

Jin tensed a little, gripping the arms of his chair tightly. He still didn't speak. But this father continued.

"And how have you found her?" the King asked.

"She has recently entered the Avatar State. On the day before yesterday, bright lights disturbed the skies late in the night and an earthquake disturbed the grounds too far from Bei Sing Se. We believe the lights and earthquake might have just been created by her."

The King considered, frowning a little. Who knew what was going through his head, but Jin was nearly buzzing in anticipation. He wanted to know rather it was a false alarm, or if that was the Avatar's location. And surely it if was, that meant she was still somewhere within the Earth Nation. Unless she knew someone, just someone, had spotted the lights she created and she ran for it. Still, just the possibilities. He _needed _to_ know._

"Where her location?" the King asked.

"She has isolated herself within Wulong Forest."

The King snorted, and Jin blinked. Wulong Forest? How long had she been hiding there? Ironically, why would she go there? Wouldn't she avoid any place affiliated with an Avatar of former life?

"Tell the Generals they have my permission to take a handful of their soldiers and search for her. They have a complete week until they must return either with her or without her," the King spoke. His eyes then wandered to Jin. "And because I know it would make the Prince happy, he may accompany the soldiers. That week starts today."


	8. End Halcyon's Days

It didn't take long to find where Halcyon could have been hiding in Wulong Forest. A wall of earth, feet high in the trees, could be found far in back of the forest. It towered ominously, making the Ostrich Horses too nerves to get very close. And emerging from the inside-center of the wall, or walls, rose a tall tree, large in both width and height. And the odd thing about the sight was, Jin could have sworn he seen it before.

"It's quiet," commented a General who had come along with Jin on the search. "There's a good chance she's not here."

"No," Jin denied. "I think she's here. A good feeling says so. We have to get the wall down. Everyone start bending."

The wall proved hard to come down. Strong bending had been used to put it up. Strong bending that was capable of someone such as the Avatar, if Halcyon had been under training anyway. But the moment Jin looked into area the wall had been covering, he regretted ever believing Halcyon had been here. It was village, or at least it appeared to be one. Bodies were slumped all over the ground. Everywhere. Blood was spilled on the soil, on the bodies. The bodies of mostly children who had perhaps been trying to run from the chaos. And as Jin's eyes slowly searched, he spotted Halcyon merged with the tree in the center of the village. Her eyes were opened, glowing. Her arms were stretched wide, tied by bark to extending branches. Her legs were also tied to roots that extended to the ground, uprooting themselves here and there. And the roots closest to the wall revealed just a single hand raising from the ground, a person trapped underground and held there by the roots.

"Is that the Avatar?" gasped a solider who dismounted his Ostrich Horse. "Could she have done this?"

Jin's brows met in confusion, in fear. No, of course Halcyon couldn't have done this. She wouldn't go as far as to harm children, an entire village of people, would she? She didn't appear to be the kind of woman who would do such a thing. Such a horrible thing. No, of course not! Of course she wouldn't…

"Never," Jin answered, his voice a whisper. "I know she wouldn't."

The General stepped next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We don't have any evidence that says she didn't do this. I'm afraid we've found the Avatar, and she'll have to be punished for this crime."

"But she didn't do it!" Jin spat, pointing a finger to the upraised hand in the ground. "He did it! Him and his friend! They killed the children and people who lived here! They attacked hoping to find her! They took her by surprise, she wasn't here when it happened. But when she came back, she surprised them… She didn't do it…" Jin murmured, questioning how he even knew if that was true.

The General arched a brow. "Oh really?" he said without believe. "How would you know that? We can't make up a story to protect her."

"I'm not making up a story!" Jin nearly yelled, becoming angry. He didn't like how the General didn't believe him, but he did understand why. It wasn't like he really could prove it. And his reason explaining how he could was… even more ridiculous. His anticipated the General's next question.

"Then tell me how you know."

Jin stared at Halcyon for a moment. Her face was dirty, her hair was messy, her clothing was torn. She really did appear to be a savage like Gevira had called her. She looked dangerous, like she could control the tree and at any moment pull all of them into the ground like she had did with the person's whose hand remained on the surface. And there was another person underground, completely submerged with no hopes of ever escaping like his comrade. Just this simple sight itself, with Halcyon being in the Avatar State at the same time, this was enough to convince anyone she was the culprit of such blood spill. But he knew she wasn't, and was all because of that dream. That stupid dream he couldn't remember. He remembered it now.

"I think she called me," Jin murmured, reluctant to speak his explanation. "I witnessed her capture them. It was like I was looking through her eyes. She came here after they attack the village, so these murders she is not responsible for…"

"Jin," the General sighed. "I think you're in shock. Would you feel better if one of my soldiers accompanied you back to the camp?" he asked, squeezing Jin's shoulder.

A sneer grew on Jin's lips, and he shrugged out of the General's hold. Without speaking, he dismounted his Ostrich Horse and cautiously started to Halcyon's tree. The General and a couple of soldiers protested, but he ignored them. He knew what really happened, and all he needed was his own reassurance. Halcyon wouldn't harm him, and she wouldn't have harmed an entire village. He had to prove it. For them. And for himself.

To get to Halcyon, he had to make it past the gigantic roots that proved to be like a maze. They twisted everywhere, big and small, tiny and gigantic. Large and threatening. But he made it to the center where Halcyon was trapped herself, stuck in the Avatar State. He could see see the motions of her breathing, just barely. He could hear her. Inhale, exhale. It was almost like she was asleep…

"Jin!" the General called. "What are you doing?"

Panic. Complete fear that something was going to go wrong. He could hear it in the General's voice. He could feel it too, coming from himself. What if something did go wrong? He couldn't imagine the worst that could happen, but he had enough faith in himself to believe Halcyon wouldn't let anything happen. His own belief was what filled him with the bravery to touch her face. Her skin had become rough, covered in dirt, and dry. Her lips were chapped. She smelled mainly of the Earth.

"Halcyon," Jin whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. His fingers rubbed against her cheek. "Everything's okay now. I've found you. It's safe." As safe as things could get anyway. What if she was still angry? What if she was scared? What comfort could he offer besides words to her? "Halcyon, you have to wake up. The children wouldn't want you to stay here."

She blinked.

Jin nearly tumbled off the tree. That was about one of the scariest things he had ever seen. But it meant he had reached her, wherever she was. She was starting to hear him.

"They're all at rest now," he told her. "Won't you come back for them? For us?"

Halcyon's glowing eyes blinked again.

"Come home, Halcyon. The last thing the children would want is for you to stay here. They would want you to go home, and be happy. They wouldn't want you to stay here, and be scared and sad. Halcyon, come home."

Halcyon blinked a few more time. Her mouth contorted a bit, and her eyebrows furrowed. Jin searched her eyes, waiting for some hint that his words reached her, that she was breaking away from the Avatar State. His answer came when the glow in her eyes disappeared, when her eyes grew wide and panicky, when the branches released her and she tumbled to her knees screaming in fear, in anger, and heartache. Jin sighed, and kneeled down next to her, pulling her too his chest as she cried. Her tears seemed endless, even when she blacked out. Eventually, he rose to his feet with her in his arms unconscious, and silently walked back to his Ostrich Horse.

"When she awakes, I'll have her explain everything."


	9. Paper Lanterns

Any time Jin neared the room Halcyon had been confined to, it was either quiet, or soft sobs could be heard through the door. He wished there was something he could do to comfort her, but ultimately he could not. She had been locked away in a room where no bending could allow her to escape, and she couldn't have visitors either, except for the King, generals, and anyone a part of the Earth Nation's Council. No one knew what to do with her, whether to believe her story or not, which Jin had already told the day she was found. They were nervous about her behavior, her attitude toward being the Avatar, her next drastic escape to avoid the role.

But it was eventually settled.

He was allowed to visit her by the end of the month.

"Halcyon?" Jin whispered, sliding through the crack in her door he had made to make sure she didn't come flying out at him. He quickly closed the door for just incase. He found her laying in bed, fully dressed, staring at the window high above her bedroom, where a bird sat staring in back at her. She looked sad, as sad she had been when she first awoke from the Avatar State. She didn't flinch, or give acknowledgment upon his arrival. "You have a visitor," he chuckled, hoping mentioning the bird would cause something to happen. The bird flew away, Halcyon just watched it. The only noise that was going to be exchanged between them seemed to be silence. She wouldn't talk. As far as he was aware, she hadn't talked since the day she explained what happened to the village. She hadn't even asked for her parents to visit her. It was like she was just an empty shell.

Defeated, Jin turned to bedroom door to leave. His hand was just on the handle when her voice cracked.

"Come home…" she spoke clearly. There was no sign of emotion in her voice. Jin glanced back at her. "You told me to come home. That was my home…"

"The Lower Ring used to be your home, too." Jin turned completely, staring at her still form. She still hadn't moved. Hadn't even glanced at him. Was she angry? Was she upset? He couldn't tell just from the sound of her voice.

"That village was home to me. It was my job to protect those people, and I failed. Like I failed at keeping being the Avatar a secret. Twice. And this time, multiple… multiple more people were more than harmed. And it's all because me…"

With the sun reflecting off those eyes, he could see them start to water. They shined sorrowfully until she shut them tightly. She curled into herself, her hands moving to cover her eyes. Jin closed his, still unsure about how to offer her any comfort.

"All of those kids… They were runaways, too. And the adults. They trusted me. And I thought I could protect them! But I was wrong! So wrong!"

He had heard that one night Halcyon had returned to the Avatar State. Guards had run to calm her down, to keep her quiet and stable. Though he didn't completely know how she felt, Jin did feel sympathy for her. She was easily ten times worse off than what he had been searching for her. She felt responsible for that village's death. Every single person in there had been killed because two merciless bounty hunters were trying to capture her and turn her in. They killed the people she had been living with, protecting as the Avatar, the person she had refused to be for all the Nations. She was confused. She was angry. She was every emotion but happy, or joyful, or relieved that someone found her. No, Halcyon was just simply hurt.

"Halcyon-" Jin started.

"All of them!" Halcyon cut him off. "_All of them_, Jin! Not a single survivor…"

"Halcyon," Jin started, his voice a warning. Perhaps it took Halcyon by surprise, because her sobs softened. "If you wouldn't have run away, those deaths could have maybe been avoided." That sounded as if he was blaming her, and in all ways possible, he was. "But those bounty hunters attacked when you were gone. There was no way you could have protected those people. But it seems you gave them a good life while they were alive. You trained their young and the orphans, you supplied them with food and clothing. You acted as their protector, their Avatar. But even the Avatar can't be perfect. Sometimes, things happen. Things go horribly wrong. But you have to learn from the mistakes you made."

"You're calling an entire village of people's lives a mistake?" Halcyon uttered, sniffing after.

Jin thought about, figuring the only way she'd get over it was by being extremely blunt. He wouldn't offer her comfort. He would offer her truth. "Yes," he answered. "You didn't mean for them all to die. You didn't want it to happen. It was a mistake on your part. And mistakes are meant to learn from. You're not suppose to let it happen again. As the Avatar, you must strengthen yourself to prevent things like that from happening all the time."

"I don't want to be the Avatar," Halcyon whispered.

"You can't change that," Jin replied, walking around to her bed and sitting at the foot's edge. "You accepted it in the village, whether you knew it or not. You were there protector, and there's people out there wanting you to keep them safe, too."

"I can't protect that many people," Halcyon said, removing her hands from her blood-shot eyes. Her face read misery. As clear as the words in a book.

"That doesn't mean you can't protect as many as possibly," Jin told her, shaking his head. He took one of her hands, wet from her tears, and squeezed it tightly in his. "Would you really be so selfish as to stop protecting people like them? The people without a home? Those who go to sleep in the woods, or in alleys, fearing for their lives if their going to wake up the next morning? Some people only feel at peace when they know they'll have an Avatar to rely on to keep them safe. The Avatar is you, Halcyon. Why don't you understand?"

"Is it a choice now?" she asked, bringing her eyes to stare into Jin's. "Has it ever been a choice to become the Avatar?"

Jin shook his head. "No," he answered. "You were born the Avatar. And once you're born the Avatar, you're always the Avatar." He recalled the conversation with Gevira. The one about giving Halcyon the choice to be the Avatar.

"Do you think I'd make a good Avatar?"

Jin smiled weakly. "If you'd just accept that you _are_ the Avatar, I'm sure you could become a great Avatar."

Silence feel between them. Halcyon brought her eyes back up to the window where the bird had formerly been perched. He wished she would keep speaking, but she had the right to her privacy, and perhaps she had said all she wanted. All of it had come out to him. He was happy about that. He was happy to even had visited her, to have sat right next to her. Halcyon…

"Prince Jin," Halcyon whispered, squeezing his hand as pushed herself upright. "Thank you," she told him.

"For being blunt? Well, I think you needed it." Jin frowned.

Halcyon's gaze was one letter short from _glare_. "I meant for finding me. I'm not sure what would have happened if I would have awoken to being alone. Nothing good, probably."

The edges of Jin's mouth pulled involuntarily. It was nice to see her weak, not hiding anything, being honest and truthful inside of sly and deceitful. She appeared normal for once. His hand stroked the side of her face, her cheek, now smooth from the care given to her while she was in the castle. His heart fluttered. To him, she was beautiful. His hunt for her was over at last. She was his…

"If I go on to be Avatar, how long do you think I'd have to train to master each Element? I haven't even been properly trained in Earth Bending…" Halcyon stated, frowning now. He missed seeing her smile.

Jin sighed, dropping his hand and raising to his feet. "I don't know," he answered, coming out of his trance. Halcyon's gaze followed him. "Months, probably years. You have a lot of catching up to do. You're far behind. The other Avatars were already masters before your age. You have a long way to go before you've perfected every Element."

Which meant she wouldn't be around. She'd have to go find masters, travel, leave again. Jin glanced down.

"You look sad," Halcyon stated, raising herself. "What's bothering you? Shouldn't you and every other Nation be rejoicing that the Avatar has been found? What was the point of coming to talk to me if in the end you were going to suddenly become sad yourself?"

Jin snorted. "Wrong," he said bluntly. His voice mimicked some sort of buzzer. "I came because I just wanted to see you. Perhaps talk. The other Nations have calmed down, but no parties are being thrown just yet. It wasn't like you actually told everyone you'd agree to be their Avatar. The ceremony hasn't been done yet."

"Still," Halcyon murmured. "Everyone's been searching for me since I was eleven or twelve. You've found me, and you don't exactly seem joyful."

Jin snorted. "Yes, I will smile and laugh in your face because I'm happy I've found you and I don't care that you're upset at all."

Sarcasm. It made her smile. It was lovely, how her lips struggled to resist the pull at their corners. Her eyes glanced down at the floor, her head bowed slightly to cover her humor. Jin allowed for a smile of his own to grew wide at his lips.

"There," Jin said. "That's all I wanted was one smile."

"Thank you," Halcyon murmured. "It feels… nice."

"It feels nice to have you as the Avatar."

Halcyon brought her gaze back up upon those words. Her lips were about to pull into a frown, but that was before Jin's lips meet hers to prevent the frown from happening. He leaned down, brushing his lightly against hers at first, seeing if she would accept it. Halcyon tensed first, and her eyes grew wide. But she relaxed, and closed her watery orbs before allowing herself to accept his kiss.

Their first and only. It felt right. His passion mixed with her longing. That was what a kiss was suppose to feel like. He trailed a hand through her hair, then wrapped his arms around her waist all the while never breaking the kiss. The kiss that he didn't want to end. The kiss where he had finally become one with the Avatar. With Halcyon.

Then the bedroom door creaked, and the both of them pulled off. Through the crack, Jin could see the image of Gevira's back walking away, and immediately the guilt washed through him. He had forgotten he was engaged… Halcyon detected it. She immediately pulled back from his hold.

"You've had your visit now. You've heard my words. It's time to go be a good Prince now, and tell your father and the Council. Halcyon has finally accepted her position as the Avatar. You should start preparing for the ceremony." Halcyon sat back on her bed. Jin stared at her, wishing she wasn't right, that he didn't have to go. "And oh… Tell them I want paper lanterns. Enough to represent the number of everyone who died, my former tea house, and all those who wish me well as their Avatar. I want them to be burned."

Jin gained a smile. She'd get what she wanted. She had good reason behind the event. He gave a nod of his head and walked to the door. The next time he saw her would probably be at the Ceremony, and when she left the castle.

"Burning paper lanterns," he spoke. "It doesn't sound like a bad idea."

* * *

**A / N ;;** Any of the few who were even interested in reading this might be interested in my story, MidNight Rain. A modernized Avatar fanfic.


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